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1.
Data Brief ; 56: 110774, 2024 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39221010

ABSTRACT

Historical data on monuments offers valuable insights into that period's past sculpture, architecture, and preferences. Realising the importance of historical data and the scarcity of data on historical places, this study presents a dataset collected from Panam City. Panam City, established in the late 1300s century, was the capital of the fifteenth-century Bengal ruler Isa Khan. The city was once an important trading and political centre and is now considered a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Panam City is located in Sonargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The aim of data collection is to capture past architectural design, materials used for the building, and the current state of the walls and structures of Panam City. This dataset can benefit researchers, architects, archaeologists, and cultural organisations. Historians and architects can gain insights into the wall's construction methods and materials, informing future restoration efforts. Historic datasets can create exciting AR/VR experiences by digitizing and 3D modelling historical artefacts and environments, integrating them into AR/VR platforms using game engines and development tools, and enhancing the user experience with interactive storytelling and educational content. Tourism boards and cultural heritage organisations can leverage this resource to develop engaging experiences that highlight the rich history and significance of Panama City. By making this data accessible, this study contributes to understanding and appreciating Panam City's historical significance while promoting innovative approaches to heritage preservation in the digital age. This dataset contains 2292 images of degraded wall classes such as Artistic, Corroded Brick, Corroded Plaster, Fungus, and Living Plant.

2.
Health Sci Rep ; 7(9): e70054, 2024 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39221057

ABSTRACT

Background and Aims: While the number of female physicians has increased since the 1970s, there continues to be a lack of female surgeons compared to their male counterparts, with the gender gap more prominent in surgical subspecialties such as neurosurgery. While surgical subspecialities have accelerated initiatives to close the gap, potential disparities in research opportunities may position women at a disadvantage, particularly in neurosurgery, where academic publications are an indicator of residency match success. In this paper, we sought to investigate whether gender disparities exist in preresidency neurosurgery publications among current neurosurgery residents. Methods: The present study selected residency programs from the top 25 neurology and neurosurgery hospitals in US News & World Report's 2022 Ranking. A database of neurosurgery residents and their publications was created using PubMed, neurosurgery residency program websites, and supplementary search. Articles published between the time of birth and December 31st of the year of graduation (medical degree) were used to determine publications before residency. Results: Our research indicates that 25.7% (n = 135/526) of US neurosurgery residents at top 25 hospitals are women and 74.3% (n = 391/526) are men. Men (n = 391) had a median of 7 (interquartile range [IQR], 3-14.5; range, 0-129) publications before residency, and women (n = 135) had a median of 7 (IQR, 4-11.0; range, 0-74) publications before residency. There were no significant differences in the median number of publications between genders (p = 0.65). Conclusion: In conclusion, our research indicates there is no gender disparity in preresidency publications among neurosurgery residents. To improve women's representation in the field, further study is needed to better understand gender inequality among neurosurgeons, particularly in the earlier stages of medical training.

4.
Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev ; 23: 200326, 2024 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39282605

ABSTRACT

Background: Heart Failure (HF) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) often coexist, and each condition independently increases the likelihood of developing the other. While there has been concern regarding the increasing burden of disease for both conditions individually over the last decade, a comprehensive examination of mortality trends and demographic and regional disparities needs to be thoroughly explored in the United States (US). Methods: This study analyzed death certificates from the CDC WONDER database, focusing on mortality caused by the co-occurrence of HF and DM in adults aged 75 and older from 1999 to 2020. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were computed and categorized by year, gender, race, census region, state, and metropolitan status. Results: A total of 663,016 deaths were reported in patients with coexisting HF and DM. Overall, AAMR increased from 154.1 to 186.1 per 100,000 population between 1999 and 2020, with a notable significant increase from 2018 to 2020 (APC: 11.30). Older men had consistently higher AAMRs than older women (185 vs. 135.4). Furthermore, we found that AAMRs were highest among non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian or Alaskan natives and lowest in NH Asian or Pacific Islanders (214.4 vs. 104.1). Similarly, AAMRs were highest in the Midwestern region and among those dwelling in non-metropolitan areas. Conclusions: Mortality from HF and DM has risen significantly in recent years, especially among older men, NH American Indian or Alaska Natives, and those in non-metropolitan areas. Urgent policies need to be developed to address these disparities and promote equitable healthcare access.

5.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39292971

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics and outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) hospitalized with pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study analyzed data from the 2016 to 2019 National Inpatient Sample to investigate hospitalizations for PE in the USA, stratified by the presence or absence of IBD. Adult patients were selected using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes for PE, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics were collected. Statistical analysis included univariable and multivariable logistic regression using Stata/BE 17.0, focusing on in-hospital mortality and complications in PE patients with and without IBD. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated when appropriate. RESULTS: PE/IBD group was younger (mean age 58.3 vs. 62.7 years; P < 0.001), had a higher proportion of white patients (81.2% vs. 70.9%; P < 0.001), and had a greater prevalence of chronic liver disease (7.54% vs. 6.02%; P = 0.002) when compared to PE/non-IBD patients. The PE/IBD group had lower prevalence rates of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Regarding primary outcomes, there was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the two groups (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.77-1.09; P = 0.355). However, the IBD/PE group had a higher risk of acute kidney injury, sepsis, septic shock, cardiac arrhythmias, and deep vein thrombosis. As for secondary outcomes, PE/IBD patients had more extended hospital stays and higher healthcare costs compared with PE/non-IBD patients. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized PE patients with IBD differ demographically and have a different comorbidity profile compared to those without IBD. PE/IBD patients demonstrate greater use of healthcare resources and elevated risk of hospitalization adverse events than PE/non-IBD patients, highlighting the necessity for individualized management approaches in this population.

6.
Inquiry ; 61: 469580221148431, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39155624

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged initially as an isolated illness in December 2019 and later progressed to a global pandemic. Hard-hit areas were lockdown, massively disrupting medical education activities. Tele-education, previously used as a means of long-distance education emerged as a solution in the field of medical education. Tele-rotations for medical students, journal clubs and lectures via Microsoft teams, medical conferences via zoom, residency, and fellowship interviews online, all emerged during this pandemic. Some medical students and trainees found it enjoyable, cost-effective, time saving, feasible, unbiased, and preferred mode of education. Challenges related to supervision, availability, affordability, diminished communication, disturbance of streaming, or distractions due to environment. Tele-education has had a boom in the era of COVID-19. Research is needed further on effective mentoring and supervision of trainees via tele educational teaching models.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Distance , Education, Medical , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Education, Medical/organization & administration , Pandemics , Telemedicine/organization & administration
7.
Data Brief ; 55: 110713, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39100782

ABSTRACT

In Bangladesh, sweet orange cultivation has been popular among fruit growers as the fruit is in demand. However, the disease of sweet oranges decreases fruit production. Research suggests that computer-aided disease diagnosis and machine learning (IML) models can improve fruit production by detecting and classifying diseases. In this line, a dataset of sweet oranges is required to diagnose the disease. Moreover, like many other fruits, sweet orange disease may vary from country to country. Therefore, in Bangladesh, a sweet orange dataset is required. Lastly, since different ML algorithms require datasets in various formats, only a few existing datasets fulfil the necessity. To fulfil the limitations, a sweet orange dataset in Bangladesh is collected. The dataset was collected in August and comprises high-quality images documenting multiple disease conditions, including Citrus Canker, Citrus Greening, Citrus Mealybugs, Die Back, Foliage Damage, Spiny Whitefly, Powdery Mildew, Shot Hole, Yellow Dragon, Yellow Leaves, and Healthy Leaf. These images provide an opportunity to apply machine learning and computer vision techniques to detect and classify diseases. This dataset aims to help researchers advance agri engineering through ML. Other sweet orange growing countries with having similar environments may find helpful information. Lastly, such experiments using our dataset will assist farmers in taking preventive measures and minimising economic losses.

8.
Otol Neurotol ; 45(9): 1012-1015, 2024 Oct 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39190792

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The recent Field Corrective Action (FCA) for the HiRes Ultra and Ultra 3D (V1) cochlear implants (CIs) triggered much research investigating clinical identification, failure rates, and postrevision outcomes. Pediatric data remain limited, especially with regards to speech outcomes. We aim to characterize the trajectory of children implanted with these devices with specific attention to speech outcomes. PATIENTS: Retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients with FCA-affected CIs from March 2017 to January 2020 at a tertiary children's hospital. INTERVENTIONS: CI placement, device monitoring, audiologic evaluation, revision surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CI failure rates, revision surgery rate, speech recognition outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-one devices were implanted in 27 pediatric patients. Average age at implantation was 4.01 years (range, 0.87-12.75). To date, 30 devices (73%) are known failures with 90% of these having undergone revision surgery. No statically significant difference was noted on open-set speech testing across best prerevision, immediate prerevision, and best postrevision time points. Best postrevision CNC scores had a mean score of 71% ± 26%, n = 16. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients implanted with FCA-affected CI devices have a high risk of device failure. Open-set speech recognition was not significantly different from prerevision to postrevision testing, suggesting preserved speech outcomes. This may be partially attributable to limitations of cohort size and the pediatric population with open-set speech testing. However, we suspect that close follow-up with standardized testing and a low threshold for revision surgery provided by our multidisciplinary team may have mitigated these changes. Postrevision open-set speech testing remains positive for these patients.


Subject(s)
Cochlear Implantation , Cochlear Implants , Reoperation , Speech Perception , Humans , Child, Preschool , Male , Child , Female , Retrospective Studies , Infant , Reoperation/statistics & numerical data , Speech Perception/physiology , Cochlear Implantation/methods , Prosthesis Failure
9.
BMC Pulm Med ; 24(1): 371, 2024 Jul 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39085906

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) is more prevalent among COVID-19 patients than other critically ill patients, but studies on this are limited. This study compared clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes among COVID-19 patients with concomitant PTX to provide insight into how PTX affects health care utilization and complications, which informs clinical decisions and healthcare resource allocation. METHODS: The 2020 Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used analyze patient demographics and outcomes, including age, race, sex, insurance status, median income, length of hospital stay, mortality rate, hospitalization costs, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor support. Propensity score matching was employed for additional analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,572,815 COVID-19 patients, 1.41% had PTX. These patients incurred significantly higher hospitalization costs ($435,508 vs. $96,668, p < 0.001) and longer stays (23.6 days vs. 8.6 days, p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was substantially elevated for PTX patients (65.8% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001), with an adjusted odds ratio of 14.3 (95% CI 12.7-16.2). Additionally, these patients were more likely to require vasopressors (16.6% vs. 3.3%), mechanical circulatory support (3.5% vs. 0.3%), hemodialysis (16.6% vs. 5.6%), invasive mechanical ventilation (76.9% vs. 15.1%), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (19.1% vs. 5.8%), tracheostomy (13.3% vs. 1.1%), and chest tube placement (59.8% vs. 0.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the severe impact of PTX on COVID-19 patients, characterized by higher mortality, more complications, and increased resource utilization. Also, being Hispanic, male, or obese increased the risk of developing concomitant PTX with COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Hospital Mortality , Pneumothorax , Propensity Score , Humans , COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/therapy , COVID-19/complications , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Aged , United States/epidemiology , Pneumothorax/mortality , Pneumothorax/therapy , Adult , Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data , Databases, Factual , Respiration, Artificial/statistics & numerical data , Respiration, Artificial/economics , SARS-CoV-2 , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Hospitalization/economics , Comorbidity , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Retrospective Studies
10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39056431

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and undergoing hemodialysis (HD) who also have atrial fibrillation (AF). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, clinicaltrials.gov, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database for relevant studies reporting the usefulness of OAC therapy for CKD, ESRD, and HD patients with AF was conducted from its inception until 1st May 2023. The studies that reported OR, RR, or HR for adult AF patients to investigate the efficacy of OAC in CKD, ESRD, and HD were included. Statistical analysis was completed using a generic inverse variance and random-effects model to calculate the combined HR and their corresponding 95% CIs for all outcomes. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The meta-analysis included 33 studies with 178,956 patients. The analysis revealed that the DOACs, when compared to VKA, significantly lowered the risk of stroke or systemic embolism (HR: 0.81 [95% CI: 0.70, 0.93]; P=0.002; I2=62%), bleeding (HR: 0.77, [95% CI: 0.67, 0.89]; P=0.0003; I2=83%), and intracranial hemorrhage (HR: 0.56, [95% CI 0.47, 0.66]; P<0.00001; I2=0%). Similarly, the risks of cardiovascular death (HR: 0.88, [95% CI 0.78, 1.00]; P=0.05; I2=0%), all-cause mortality (HR: 0.88, [95% CI 0.70, 1.10]; P=0.25; I2=96%), and myocardial infarction (HR: 0.80, [95% CI 0.54, 1.17]; P= 0.25; I2= 0%) were lowered by DOAC, but the result was insignificant. No significant difference was seen in the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding between DOAC and VKA as well (HR: 0.95, [95% CI 0.75, 1.20]; P=0.65; I2=83%). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis confirms that DOACs are effective for managing AF in patients with kidney disease, with potential clinical implications for AF and CKD management. Further research should explore DOACs' reno-protective effects.

11.
Heliyon ; 10(12): e32500, 2024 Jun 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38994043

ABSTRACT

As the population of Somaliland continues to grow rapidly, the demand for electricity is anticipated to rise exponentially over the next few decades. The provision of reliable and cost-effective electricity service is at the core of the economic and social development of Somaliland. Wind energy might offer a sustainable solution to the exceptionally high electricity prices. In this study, a techno-economic assessment of the wind energy potential in some parts of the western region of Somaliland is performed. Measured data of wind speed and wind direction for three sites around the capital city of Hargeisa are utilized to characterize the resource using Weibull distribution functions. Technical and economic performances of several commercial wind turbines are examined. Out of the three sites, Xumba Weyne stands out as the most favorable site for wind energy harnessing with average annual power and energy densities at 80 m hub height of 317 kW/m2 and 2782 kWh/m2, respectively. Wind turbines installed in Xumba Weyne yielded the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of not more than 0.07 $/kWh, shortest payback times (i.e., less than 7.2 years) with minimum return on investment (ROI) of approximately 150%.

12.
Cureus ; 16(5): e59768, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38846243

ABSTRACT

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) often occur suddenly and abruptly, leaving patients with long-lasting disabilities that place a huge emotional and economic burden on everyone involved. CVAs result when emboli or thrombi travel to the brain and impede blood flow; the subsequent lack of oxygen supply leads to ischemia and eventually tissue infarction. The most important factor determining the prognosis of CVA patients is time, specifically the time from the onset of disease to treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted neuroimaging alleviates the time constraints of analysis faced using traditional diagnostic imaging modalities, thus shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment. Numerous recent studies support the increased accuracy and processing capabilities of AI-assisted imaging modalities. However, the learning curve is steep, and huge barriers still exist preventing a full-scale implementation of this technology. Thus, the potential for AI to revolutionize medicine and healthcare delivery demands attention. This paper aims to elucidate the progress of AI-powered imaging in CVA diagnosis while considering traditional imaging techniques and suggesting methods to overcome adoption barriers in the hope that AI-assisted neuroimaging will be considered normal practice in the near future. There are multiple modalities for AI neuroimaging, all of which require collecting sufficient data to establish inclusive, accurate, and uniform detection platforms. Future efforts must focus on developing methods for data harmonization and standardization. Furthermore, transparency in the explainability of these technologies needs to be established to facilitate trust between physicians and AI-powered technology. This necessitates considerable resources, both financial and expertise wise which are not available everywhere.

13.
Transpl Infect Dis ; : e14305, 2024 Jun 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38881210

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Better access to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has broadened the utilization of hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleic acid testing (NAT) positive organs with excellent outcomes. However, DAA therapy has been associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation. AIM: To determine the risk of HBV transmission or reactivation with utilization of HBV core antibody positive (HBcAb+) and HCV NAT positive (HCV+) organs, which presumably required DAA therapy. METHODS: The number of HBcAb+ donors with delineated HCV NAT status was obtained from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database. The number of unexpected HBV infections from transplanted organs adjudicated as "proven" or "probable" transmission was obtained from the OPTN Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee database. A chart review of the donors of "proven" or "probable" cases was conducted. RESULTS: From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021, 7735 organs were procured from 3767 HBcAb+ donors and transplanted into 7469 recipients; 545 (14.5%) donors were also HCV+. HBV transmission or reactivation occurred in seven recipients. The rate is not significantly different between recipients of HCV+ (0.18%, 2/1115) and the HCV NAT negative (HCV-) organs (0.08%, 5/6354) (p = 0.28) or between recipients of HCV+ and HCV- livers as well as non-liver organs. HBV transmission or reactivation occurred within a median of 319 (range, 41-1117) days post-transplant in the setting of missing, inadequate, or truncated prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: HBV reactivation associated with DAA therapy for HBcAb+ HCV+ organs is less frequent than reported in the non-transplant population, possibly due to the common use of HBV prophylaxis in the at-risk transplant population.

14.
Blood Cancer J ; 14(1): 86, 2024 May 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38806475

ABSTRACT

Multiple myeloma (MM) therapeutics have evolved tremendously in recent years, with significant improvement in patient outcomes. As newer treatment options are developed, stem cell transplant (SCT) remains an important modality that provides excellent disease control and delays the progression of disease. Over the years, SCT use has increased overall in the U.S., but two distinct gaps remain, including suboptimal use overall and racial-ethnic disparities. We evaluated the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to study what sociodemographic factors might play a role within a given racial-ethnic group leading to disparate SCT utilization, such that targeted approaches can be developed to optimize SCT use for all. In nearly 112,000 cases belonging to mutually exclusive categories of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), Hispanics, non-Hispanic Asians (NHA), and others, we found certain factors including age, comorbidity index, payor type, facility type (academic vs. community) and facility volume to be uniformly associated with SCT use for all the racial-ethnic groups, while gender was not significant for any of the groups. There were several other factors that had a differential impact on SCT utilization among the various race-ethnicity groups studied, including year of diagnosis (significant for NHW, NHB, and Hispanics), income level (significant for NHW and Hispanics), literacy level (significant for NHW and NHB), and geographic location of the treatment facility (significant for NHW and NHA). The suboptimal SCT utilization overall in the U.S. suggests that there may be room for improvement for all, even including the majority NHW, while we continue to work on factors that lead to disparities for the traditionally underserved populations. This study helps identify sociodemographic factors that may play a role specifically in each group and paves the way to devise targeted solutions such that resource utilization and impact can be maximized.


Subject(s)
Healthcare Disparities , Multiple Myeloma , Humans , Multiple Myeloma/therapy , Multiple Myeloma/epidemiology , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Aged , United States/epidemiology , Adult , Stem Cell Transplantation , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
15.
Arch Pharm (Weinheim) ; 357(8): e2400171, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710636

ABSTRACT

This study presents an exploration of the chemical space around derivatives of 3-benzamidopyrazine-2-carboxamides, previously identified as potent antimycobacterial compounds with predicted binding to mycobacterial prolyl-transfer RNA synthetase. New urea derivatives (Series-1) were generally inactive, probably due to their preference for cis-trans conformation (confirmed by density functional theory calculations and experimentally by nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR). Series-2 (3-benzamidopyrazine-2-carboxamides with disubstituted benzene ring) demonstrated that substituents larger than fluorine are not tolerated in the ortho position of the benzene ring. This series brought two new compounds (21: R = 2-F, 4-Cl and 22: R = 2-F, 4-Br) with in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv as well as multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, with minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 6.25 to 25 µg/mL. The lactone-type derivatives 4H-pyrazino[2,3-d][1,3]oxazin-4-ones (Series-3) were inactive, but solvent stability studies of compound 29 indicated that they might be developed to usable lactone prodrugs of inhibitors of mycobacterial aspartate decarboxylase (PanD).


Subject(s)
Antitubercular Agents , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Structure-Activity Relationship , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/enzymology , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , Antitubercular Agents/chemistry , Antitubercular Agents/chemical synthesis , Molecular Structure , Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/antagonists & inhibitors , Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/metabolism , Pyrazines/pharmacology , Pyrazines/chemistry , Pyrazines/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
16.
Healthcare (Basel) ; 12(9)2024 May 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38727498

ABSTRACT

(1) Background: International students with sufficient health literacy are better equipped to respond to public health emergencies and reduce any unintentional harm that may occur during such events. This study aims to assess the current status of health literacy among international students and investigate the factors that influence health literacy. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tokyo on international university students using a questionnaire consisting of the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy and eHealth Literacy Scales. The study analyzed 205 valid responses. Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess the level of health literacy, and linear regression was used to identify the association of socio-demographic characteristics and disease status with health and e-health literacy. (3) Results: Health literacy and e-health literacy were low in 48.29% and 47.29% of international students, respectively. The mean scores of CCHL items ranged from 3.13 to 3.26, while the mean scores of eHEALS items ranged from 3.33 to 3.49. Both health literacy and e-health literacy were better with unmarried status (p = 0.015), and e-health literacy was worse with higher age (p = 0.007). (4) Conclusions: Overall, international students' health literacy and e-health literacy were at intermediate levels, with considerable room for improvement, and affected by certain student attributes.

17.
J Am Coll Cardiol ; 83(16): 1543-1553, 2024 Apr 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38631773

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the psychological and cardiovascular disease (CVD) benefits of physical activity (PA) are not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: This study tested whether PA: 1) attenuates stress-related neural activity, which is known to potentiate CVD and for its role in anxiety/depression; 2) decreases CVD in part through this neural effect; and 3) has a greater impact on CVD risk among individuals with depression. METHODS: Participants from the Mass General Brigham Biobank who completed a PA survey were studied. A subset underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomographic imaging. Stress-related neural activity was measured as the ratio of resting amygdalar-to-cortical activity (AmygAC). CVD events were ascertained from electronic health records. RESULTS: A total of 50,359 adults were included (median age 60 years [Q1-Q3: 45-70 years]; 40.1% male). Greater PA was associated with both lower AmygAC (standardized ß: -0.245; 95% CI: -0.444 to -0.046; P = 0.016) and CVD events (HR: 0.802; 95% CI: 0.719-0.896; P < 0.001) in multivariable models. AmygAC reductions partially mediated PA's CVD benefit (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.92-0.99; P < 0.05). Moreover, PA's benefit on incident CVD events was greater among those with (vs without) preexisting depression (HR: 0.860; 95% CI: 0.810-0.915; vs HR: 0.929; 95% CI: 0.910-0.949; P interaction = 0.011). Additionally, PA above guideline recommendations further reduced CVD events, but only among those with preexisting depression (P interaction = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: PA appears to reduce CVD risk in part by acting through the brain's stress-related activity; this may explain the novel observation that PA reduces CVD risk to a greater extent among individuals with depression.


Subject(s)
Cardiovascular Diseases , Adult , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Female , Exercise , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Positron-Emission Tomography , Neural Pathways , Risk Factors
18.
Epilepsy Behav ; 155: 109732, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38636140

ABSTRACT

Epilepsy affects over 50 million people globally. Electroencephalography is critical for epilepsy diagnosis, but manual seizure classification is time-consuming and requires extensive expertise. This paper presents an automated multi-class seizure classification model using EEG signals from the Temple University Hospital Seizure Corpus ver. 1.5.2. 11 features including time-based correlation, time-based eigenvalues, power spectral density, frequency-based correlation, frequency-based eigenvalues, sample entropy, spectral entropy, logarithmic sum, standard deviation, absolute mean, and ratio of Daubechies D4 wavelet transformed coefficients were extracted from 10-second sliding windows across channels. The model combines multi-head self-attention mechanism with a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify seven subtypes of generalized and focal epileptic seizures. The model achieved 0.921 weighted accuracy and 0.902 weighted F1 score in classifying focal onset non-motor, generalized onset non-motor, simple partial, complex partial, absence, tonic, and tonic-clonic seizures. In comparison, a CNN model without multi-head attention achieved 0.767 weighted accuracy. Ablation studies were conducted to validate the importance of transformer encoders and attention. The promising classification results demonstrate the potential of deep learning for handling EEG complexity and improving epilepsy diagnosis. This seizure classification model could enable timely interventions when translated into clinical practice.


Subject(s)
Electroencephalography , Epilepsies, Partial , Neural Networks, Computer , Seizures , Humans , Electroencephalography/methods , Seizures/classification , Seizures/diagnosis , Seizures/physiopathology , Epilepsies, Partial/classification , Epilepsies, Partial/diagnosis , Epilepsies, Partial/physiopathology , Deep Learning , Attention/physiology , Male , Adult , Female , Epilepsy, Generalized/classification , Epilepsy, Generalized/diagnosis , Epilepsy, Generalized/physiopathology , Young Adult
20.
Struct Heart ; 8(2): 100264, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38481712

ABSTRACT

Background: Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve (MViV) replacement has emerged as an alternative to redo mitral valve (MV) surgery for the management of failed bioprosthetic MVs. The degree of cardiac remodeling assessed by echocardiography has been shown to have prognostic implications in degenerative mitral regurgitation patients undergoing MV surgery. The impact of transcatheter MViV in patients with degenerative bioprosthetic MV failure on cardiac remodeling and its associated prognosis remains undescribed. Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe the early anatomic and functional changes of the left-sided chambers and right ventricle by echocardiography posttranscatheter MViV intervention and their impact on mortality outcomes. Additionally, we sought to analyze the outcome of heart failure in bioprosthetic MV failure patients undergoing transcatheter MViV replacement. Methods: We analyzed consecutive patients undergoing MViV intervention for symptomatic bioprosthetic MV failure. Echocardiograms before intervention and within 100 days postintervention were analyzed. A chart review was performed to obtain baseline characteristics, follow-up visits, 30-day heart failure and 1-year all-cause mortality outcomes. Results: A total of 62 patients (mean age 69 ± 13 years, 61% male) were included in the study. Most patients were undergoing MViV intervention for prosthetic mitral stenosis n = 48 (77.4%) and the rest for mitral regurgitation or mixed disease. Compared with baseline, significant reductions were observed in median left atrial volume (LAV; 103 [81-129] ml vs. 95.2 [74.5-117.5] ml, p < 0.01) and mean (SD) left atrial conduit strain (9.1% ± 5.2% vs. 10.8% ± 4.8%, p = 0.039) within 100 days postintervention. Early reduction in right ventricular free wall global longitudinal strain and fractional area change also occurred postintervention. No significant change in left ventricular chamber dimensions or ejection fraction was observed. During the 1-year follow up period, 5 (8%) patients died. While baseline LAV was not associated with 1-year all-cause mortality (OR 0.98 CI 0.95-1.01; p = 0.27), a change in LAV in the follow up period was associated with all-cause mortality at 1 year (OR 1.06 CI 1.01-1.12; p = 0.023). At 30 days postintervention, 65% of patients had an improvement in their New York Heart Association functional class. Conclusion: In this retrospective study of patients undergoing transcatheter MViV intervention for failed bioprosthetic MVs, early reverse remodeling of the left atrium occurs within 100 days postintervention and reduction in LAV is associated with reduced all-cause mortality at 1 year. In addition, there is significant improvement in heart failure symptoms at 30 days following intervention but further investigation into the longitudinal remodeling changes and long-term outcomes is needed.

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